Recent Developments

Lee & Ko has been selected as the winner of the Specialist award – Pro Bono at the 2024 IFLR Asia Pacific Awards. 

Lee & Ko won the lawsuit against the Incheon International Airport Immigration Bureau for cancellation of the determination not to refer to the refugee status screening on behalf of the refugees Mali and Angola. This case has become a landmark precedent for the South Korean government to conduct the refugee screening in accordance with due process. As a result of the collaboration and exercise of expertise by various attorneys in Lee & Ko, the firm was awarded the Specialist award – Pro bono in recognition of these activities. Lee & Ko plans to continue its vigorous efforts to provide legal support to the underprivileged. 

The IFLR (International Financial Law Review) is a global legal magazine specializing in finance. Annually at the IFLR Asia Pacific Awards, it selects and presents winners from various practice areas such as outstanding law firms, attorneys, deals, in-house counsels and specialist awards in Asia based on extensive research results, including submission by law firms and interviews with attorneys, in-house lawyers and corporate finance professionals.

The Pro Bono Committee of Lee & Ko publishes ‘Pro Bono Report’ that introduce our pro bono activity overall every year, and this year, we also published the report that contains the details of our committee's major pro bono activities of last year.

Last year, 2022,  the Pro Bono Committee of Lee & Ko won the “Pro Bono Award” at the 5th  Korea Legal Award in recognition of its success in an administrative litigation for disclosing administrative guidelines for refugee status determination on behalf of the NANCEN, and led to the acquittal of a refugee in a case of violation of the Immigration Control Act. Furthermore, Lee & Ko hosted “Lee& Ko Friends” program in which attorneys at Lee & Ko and North Korean defectors attending college develop one-on-one mentorship and get a chance to become friends. Also committee provided legal training and advice to ‘Heavenly dream school’, an Alternative School For North Korean youth defectors and free legal consultation and advice to Anna’s House, a social welfare organization.